Jpjandrade: “The hardware is meh and I never really got used to the Android UI but man I wish Apple would get somewhat close to Google when it comes to AI. If the Assistant is as half as good as Google Now and the voice reconigtion in Android, I’m really going to miss it in iOS. The photo burst thing also looks really nice, Google Photos IMO has taken the lead in the past year or so over Apple’s photo offerings, it’s automatic collages, animations and albums are always very good.

In the meantime, I can not get Siri to reliably do anything for me except setting an alarm and sometimes send an iMessage if I speak slowly and clearly. She does nail the jokes though.”

TNSGT: “I’m not a fanboy of either system, and I was looking forward to the announcement. Despite the leaks I was expecting the phone to look a bit nicer, that chin is pretty unforgiving when there’s no finger print scanners, buttons or speakers down there.

The placement of the sensors on the front doesn’t do the phone any favours for the white and blue versions, and lastly, I can’t see the price point contributing to this phone being a major seller. No finance options for the UK as far as I can tell, and similarly priced to iPhones on contract as well.

On the plus side, you can’t really go wrong with stock Android, and the Nexus/Pixel phones really benefit from that, camera looks like it will be good and Google-Apps integration I think is better than the Apple apps if you’re okay with the privacy aspects (or lack thereof).

All in all though, I was hoping for a Nexus 6P beater, but instead it looks like we got a slightly uglier version of the HTC 10 for the same price as an iPhone 7. I’ll be giving this one a miss.

Edit: It’s worth noting that the OnePlus 3 (64GB) has competitive specs and is only £270 cheaper than the base model Pixel… £390 cheaper than the base model Pixel XL. The base models are 32GB.”

SlipDiff: “I always admired the Nexus line of devices as they were really beefily specced and were much more affordable than their iPhone compadres.

The only pain points I experienced were with the battery life and camera. It seem Google thinks they can raise their prices to iPhone levels if they get these points right. And it remains to be seen whether or not they did actually get the camera and battery right this time.

I’ll have to ultimately play with one hands on before I can formulate a sound opinion.”

MrX8503: “It’s a baby step for Google that will lead to an all Google made phone, including the SoC. Qualcomm’s SoC is severely lacking, like 1.5 years behind lacking. You’re paying flagship prices for a mediocre SoC.

Taking the device for what it is today, I’m not impressed because it’s just a stepping stone. People don’t realize the work involved from supply chain to distribution and from hardware to software. It’ll be interesting to see how Google handles this.”

Shooshmoosh: “It’s a poor performance from Google and their pricing really.

I thought the point of Nexus line and now pixel is to compete with competitors like Apple by selling cheaper and making the difference from advertisement. Remember that Google makes money from every bit of data…. Location… Browsing… Etc… Apple doesnt so in reality Google believes that it’s phone is worth much more than an iPhone!

Too greedy really. Also remember that many people that use Android are generally after a cheaper offering than iPhone and overall I don’t think the pricing is totally off what the market and Android world was expecting.”

McCool71: “They are two very different ideas behind the two devices though - the Nexus phones was largely meant to be a developer tool and a ‘baseline’ for the latest version of Android, not something really aiming to reach the mass market or to sell in huge amounts or even make money from.

The pixel is the opposite - Google clearly wants to actually sell it to as many as they can.”

SkyJohn: “I don’t know why they are bothering to have two screen sizes when they are so close, 5“ vs 5.5” ”

Caspararemi: “They can give them full feature parity. The dual camera is only available in the 7 Plus and I know a lot of people who resent having to buy a bigger phone just to get it.”

Idiotproof: “I feel that it lacks several of the features that attracted me to the Nexus line (striking design of the 6p, stereo speakers, and slightly lower price). I will say I’ve had good experience with Google’s support, I just haven’t had great experiences with some of their design decisions.

I think they charged $100 too much for a phone that fixes few of the flaws of the prior generation, while removing features, having larger bezels, and being built by a company I have had issues with in the past (HTC). I’ll wait for reviews, but I’m still selling my Nexus 6p at about $400, and shouldn’t have an issue getting that price now.”

Cuentanueva: “Priced at the iPhone 7/Note 7 price range and has nothing to show up for it. No water resistance, no sd card, no 3d touch, no S pen, no wireless charging, no dual camera, not a great design…

It makes no sense. I prefer Android over iOS but they are making it tough to stay if the only phones that get updates more or less reliably are this pricy and average. It’s better to buy any of the cheap decent phones that are available on Android every year and you will spend less and still be updated. Or just move to iOS.

If the phones had been priced at 550 the most expensive one. I could see people buying them. But at this price they offer nothing interesting.”

Google is on the right track with the Pixel phones

As you can tell from some of the comments, there’s quite a bit of skepticism about the Pixel phones from some Apple users. But I have to disagree with some of that sentiment, and Apple itself is why I see things differently.

Over the years Apple has proven how important it is for a company in the mobile phone business to control the whole widget in terms of hardware and software. The iPhone is one of the most successful products in history, but that success would never have happened if Apple didn’t tightly control the hardware and software of the iPhone.

Google has been watching Apple’s success with the iPhone for years now, and it’s clear that company has realized that its initial model for Android hasn’t worked well in some respects. So the Pixel phones are a first step toward creating a premium Android platform that can go head to head with the iPhone.

Whether or not Google will succeed remains to be seen, but I think they are on the right track with the Pixel phones. Google can no longer rely on its half-assed Nexus phones or external phone makers like Samsung. So the company is taking the bull by the horns with its Pixel phones, and I think it will probably work out quite well for them in the years to come.

Google wants to be more like Apple and, given Apple’s success, who can blame them?

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Jim Lynch is a technology analyst and online community manager. Jim has written for many leading industry publications over the years.

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of InfoWorld, ITworld, CIO.com, IDG Communications, or their parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies.